Kussend paar in deuropening met een hor tussen beiden c. 1890 - 1910

Curator: At first glance, there’s a definite sense of stillness here, despite the overt affection depicted. What do you see? Editor: Indeed, the atmosphere feels heavy, even constrained by the framing. Before we dive deeper, can you give me some background on this gelatin-silver print? Curator: Certainly. What we have here is a stereoscopic image titled “Kussend paar in deuropening met een hor tussen beiden”, made circa 1890 to 1910, by the Universal Stereoscopic View Company. It's intriguing to see how this image uses the separation—literally the screen door—to subtly communicate about intimacy. Editor: The "Universal Stereoscopic View Company” is interesting as the company implies a broad appeal. In terms of the work’s material creation, that heavy stock of photographic paper, likely mass produced… do you think that changes our perception, versus, say, an individual artist painstakingly crafting this very image? Curator: Absolutely. The photograph flattens and intensifies the emotions involved, elevating this mundane, romantic meeting to the level of pure sentiment. We feel the figures’ restrained passion all the more through its crisp photographic presentation. Editor: Restraint certainly resonates through the tangible layers in the materials employed: that screen door is central to the photograph's entire construction, almost working as a structural element, physically dividing the interior, private space from the exposed outdoor setting. Even though the kiss transcends the barriers… Curator: I agree—the barrier heightens our awareness of the couple's emotions; consider how it is also representative of late 19th and early 20th century sensibilities and ideas about romance and what should or shouldn’t be made public. There is eroticism in plain sight and hidden, depending on the gaze that falls upon this piece. Editor: Thinking about those gazes, I’m left to wonder about who and where this image was for. The labour of production versus its relatively quiet composition is what sticks with me. Curator: It does leave an echo in its presentation, a quiet commentary on the tension between accessibility and intimacy.